News 16:00

BULLETIN 9 October 4 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulates the veteran jurist Navi Pillay on winning the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
# The ANC Youth League calls for tougher immigration enforcement amid the asylum application surge
# And: Donald Trump rules out an attack on Iran before the November elections

# President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated South African jurist Navi Pillay on winning the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting peace and international law. Ramaphosa says the award recognises Pillay’s courage, integrity and lifelong commitment to protecting human rights and ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted. Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says Pillay defended anti-apartheid activists, including the late former president Nelson Mandela.

# The ANC Youth League is calling for tighter immigration enforcement following a surge in foreign nationals at Home Affairs offices and refugee reception centres. This follows a Constitutional Court judgment on the processing of asylum applications. League spokesperson Sindiswa Scheepers says the ruling must not be treated as a blanket amnesty for people living in the country unlawfully. She urges Home Affairs, the Border Management Authority and police to strengthen immigration checks:

# Deputy minister of Water and Sanitation Jack Bloom has backed criminal charges against the City of Ekurhuleni and the Ekurhuleni Water Care Company in Gauteng over ongoing sewage pollution. The charges relate to the Hartebeestfontein wastewater treatment works and failure to comply with a directive issued under the National Water Act. Bloom says between January and September, treated wastewater met microbiological standards only 68-percent of the time, and chemical standards 61-percent of the time:

# US President Donald Trump says Washington will not launch new attacks on Iran before the November 3 midterm elections, citing what he describes as productive discussions with Tehran. Trump said the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place while negotiations continue. The war has disrupted energy supplies and pushed up fuel prices. The two countries have exchanged proposals aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route. Trump has rejected Iran’s latest offer.

# Tennis: World number two Alexander Zverev has beaten China’s Wu Yibing 6-4, 7-6 to reach the third round of the Shanghai Masters. The top seed overcame a brief left-ankle scare after slipping during the second set, before winning the tie-break to seal victory. Zverev praised his opponent’s powerful hitting and credited his own serve for helping him through a tough match. He next faces France’s Quentin Halys as he continues his bid for a third title of the season.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-55-cents against the rand and the euro at 18-rand-53-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-87-cents and Bitcoin trades at 82-thousand-896-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-172-dollars-10-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 106-dollars-44-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….